Crown and Anchor Series: Book 1-4

by Kerri Ann

  A family friend helped me run when I turned sixteen, and I never looked back. I looked over my shoulder, but never back. The UK first, then the US. Overall, I’ve become a stronger person for it.

  “I get it, okay? You need me to desecrate a new building.” Waving off Kato, I stomp into my office. It’s on the top floor of one of—what I’m told—is the most secure places in Osaka. “I’ll go. Jeeze, get off my back.”

  “Not desecrate, consecrate. Kaori, it’s been weeks. You need to obey customs. You can’t do this as you wish. This is—”

  Flailing my hands in the air, I interrupt Kato. “Tradition. Yeah, I get it, Jiji.”

  Slamming the door would be expected, but with a silent shove, Kato speaks volumes about his frustration. “Kaori, you are Oyabun. There’s no avoiding this. You have expectations to live up to.”

  I flop down on the white leather couch in my suite. “Right now, the only thing I have is an expectation of beer and a nap. And I highly doubt you’ll let me do that. Am I correct?”

  “That’s correct, Kaori.”

  Ugh, the injustice of this all! I thought I was the Oyabun. “I thought I had to take this job to save my sisters from awful marriages, but so far, what have I done? Kissed men with bad breath on the cheeks, and stood in ugly shoes.” I raise a foot to showcase said hideousness. “And I’ve listened to banter that means nothing. Nothing! No one accomplishes anything because you’re all worried about hurting the honor of the other clans. This is bullshit, Kato.”

  Sitting in the chair, he faces me. “It will get better. I promise.”

  “You’ve said that a few times. I’m getting tired of promises that don’t mean anything.”

  “Kaori, we have two more meetings this afternoon. Is there anything I can get you?” I quirk my brow at him, but he looks the same as always—annoyed. “No beer and no nap. But is there anything else, Oyabun?”

  “Lunch would be good. How about you ask that secretary of mine to run out and grab it.”

  “Your jiei is not a secretary. Kenta is not supposed to leave your side, Kaori. He’s your bodyguard, and he’s here to protect you.” He shakes his head, clearly frustrated with me. Yes! I’m finally getting to him. My evil plan is working.

  “Fine. Kenta isn’t a secretary, but he knows where to get the best noodles in this part of town. Ask him to get it on your way out.” Kato knows I’ve just dismissed him.

  “As you wish, Kaori. No napping, though.”

  “Fine, I promise, no napping. Now boogie out to Kenta and get my noodles, Jiji.”

  He hates that I call him old man, but I love how it irks him. I’ll do it until he breaks, dammit!

  The door closes, leaving me alone. Blowing out a pent-up breath, I sink into the couch. This has been hard. Not the taking orders or giving them, but the restraint as I silence my tongue. Tradition and honor. Outside of this bubble, no one at home would understand how life is for me now. Man, I miss my old life. It’s only been three weeks, but...Argh!

  My sex life is nonexistent with another person, mainly because of the reminders of Jamieson and his abilities, but more so because of the haggard bunch I’ve met can’t hold a candle to Crown. Not only that, but every waking moment has been taken up with something truly exasperating.

  Working for Chris, I had it all figured out. I could get him out of the worst situations. I was good at getting him into them, too. I’d pushed him into the hands of at least a few men that could entertain his cock for a few hours because I understood him. I was good at my job. Making myself look as good? Nope, not so good. I can’t seem to suck up my pride and bite my tongue. It’s made these weeks awful. All of it has soaked up time that I’d rather enjoy with my memories of that day in Jamieson’s hotel room.

  Have I used his cock and tongue abilities as a template? Hell yes! Every moment I’m sure there are no cameras, I yank out Jai.

  Kind of like now.

  Jumping up off the couch, I lock the door, turn the blinds and gather up my fully charged vibrator as I squeal with delight. “Time to work, Jai.” Flicking off my hideous non-designer heels, I unzip my linen pants. My pink toy ready to roll. Moaning at the instant it fills my wanton core, I hit the button. “Yes…” This is what I needed to get over the pompous arseholes today.

  His dark chocolate eyes, his strong jaw. His even stronger tongue, with the rough beard that scrapes the sides of my lips as he works my clit like a starved man.

  I flick the raised bud. “Jesus, this is just what I needed,” I say to myself.

  Standing is harder to do, but the memory of him on my body as I wrapped my legs around his shoulders is more vivid this way. Resting a hand on the high back chair, I raise the speed on Jai. I melt.

  “More! More!” I moan, and in a way, I don’t care if anyone hears me. I was dragged back to Japan after finally having an experience that rivalled my pocket cock, so these old guys will just have to get used to me. Pinching the swollen nub, pumping my toy in and out, I increase the power to my favorite setting. It sends me to the heavens in seconds.

  “Oh my gosh!” I scream out. Maybe it’s a bit loud, but I don’t care. All I see is Jamieson holding me on that glass and caressing my greedy pussy.

  As I’m rocking back and forth, rushing toward the finish line, I hear a heavy bang on my door. The door that I thought was soundproof. With loud screams from the other side, further banging, and panicked male voices, the door splits open as I let out a joyous peal of happiness while my orgasm crests.

  “Yes! Yes! Yes!” I yell. With my bare ass on display, a hot pink vibrator hidden within me, and a smile of ecstasy, I look over my shoulder. Standing in the doorway with not only shocked faces, but my noodles, are Kato and Kenta.

  Seeing more of their boss than they thought they’d ever get, I grab a napkin. Pulling my vibrator free on a groan, I lay it down and give them my attention.

  “Oh. You brought noodles.”

  JAMIESON

  My cum jets down the drain for the hundredth time since Carli boarded her plane. Hell, I’ve jerked off like a horny teenager. You’d swear I’d only just figured out what pleasure came from jerking off. And whose name is the one that I shout out each time? Carli fucking Katana. I’ve never mooned over a girl, woman, or MILF. Not a one.

  With the aftershocks rocking my body, I do my best to calm my breathing. I’ve tried to think about fucking other women, but every time I look at them, there’s something missing. They’re too short, their hair isn’t long enough, their lips are too thin, they’re too sweet, too evil, and I can’t find the fine line between crass and sarcasm. There are faults in Carli, but her faults make her better than them in so many ways.

  For three weeks, she’s been gone. Three weeks of my hand, which is getting tired, and three weeks of wanting to fly over so I can fuck her harshly. If I had reason to be there, I would. Snowboarding in Japan is good, but I’m not competing right now with all this family drama, so I have no excuse to just ‘pop by’ for sugar.

  Thinking on family, we haven’t seen much of Doll. I’ve stayed away to let her deal with this on her own. I know Risen has her, and I always figured sink or swim. Our parents kept her water wings on too long, and now she’s finding out the hard way.

  And Wyatt? He’s doing better. He still doesn’t have the grip he wants in his hand, but it’ll take him time to get that strength back. I’ve seen that he’s dealing better than expected. His girlfriend, and Carli’s partner in crime, is a good thing for him. For me, not so much. Every time I walk through the door, I see her mind trying to ask questions long before she voices them.

  “Have you talked to Carli? Is she doing well? I think you should call her, Whiskey.”

  Yeah, I’m not calling her out of the blue like some needy bitch. In saying that, I just jerked off to the thought of her.

  Soaping up the remnants of my release, I finish up and dress quickly. Wyatt’s expecting me to see him in a few hours to go over things with the new lawyer. Hopefully, he’s released s
oon so I can get back to Colorado. I haven’t been around family this much, and it’s overwhelming. They all want something from me. Wyatt, China, Dad, Marca, Petra. They’ve always needed something from me, and I can only give so much before the lines blur and I fade.

  Touching the scar on my hip, thinking of my sister Petra, it’s always the same reminder. Family dies. Family isn’t here forever. Family can only be so much to you before something fails. Maybe that’s why I’m putting so much effort into helping Wyatt and China; I’ve already failed my family too much.

  JAMIESON — THE PAST

  “What’s taking you so long? Come on. Don’t make me do it all alone, Maimy.”

  “Pet, wait up. The last thing we should be doing is...What are we doing again?”

  “Funny, har har, Maimy. We’re doing something sneaky. You know what sneaky is, right?” Traipsing across the room, tiptoeing like she’s some ninja, Petra makes more noise than an elephant. There’s no way no one heard us. Thanking our lucky stars that Dad’s off at a race, because he hears everything, we walk across the living room. As Petra pops the door, her smile is so bright, the moonlight makes her look evil.

  Catching up to her, closing the door quietly, we sneak out of the house. Passing the pool, Petra runs far ahead. “Wait up, Pet! Why are you running?”

  “Maimy, it only happens this late at night. Come on.” Running across the yard, I move as quick as I can to catch her. She’s always been faster than me. Quickest feet in the eighth grade. She beat Jon last week, and he’s one of the fastest guys of our age. I’ve never seen a guy cry so hard.

  Cresting the ridge, stopping by the edge of the cliff, all I see is Petra’s outline. Stepping beside her, looking out at the ocean, I don’t see anything. “What are we doing out here, Petra?”

  She sits down on the edge of the grass. “I saw this once before, but only when it was this bright out. Just wait, Maimy.” I used to hate her nickname for me, but I’ve had it so long, I don’t even think about it anymore. My sister—my twin sister—means everything to me. Yeah, we have Wyatt, and Mom is pregnant, but Petra is mine. And if she says there’s something I need to see, well, I’ll damn well follow.

  She pats the grass beside her. “Sit, you dolt.”

  Fine.

  “What are we looking for, Pet?”

  “Whales.”

  “Whales?” On the California coast, whales aren’t special. “I see them all the time. Why are we looking late at night? It’s almost three in the morning, Pet.” Sometimes she’s exasperating, but I do what she wants because she’s Petra. Her way of dragging me toward danger is innate. Even on a motorcycle, I’m not as fearless as her. I swear she’ll be Dad’s new race partner in no time. The girl can drive a car like nobody’s business. Well, it’s a Go Cart, but she drives it like she was born to.

  “Jamieson, you never see what I do, until I show you. So tonight, let me show you.” Tapping me on the leg, I relent.

  Anything, and I relent. We get in trouble, and I take the fall. She fails a math test, and I say it was because I kept her up late talking about snowboards. I take the brunt of everything, because she’s mine to protect.

  “Look. If you watch the waves just off the coast you’ll see them. No, you’ll hear them. Just listen, Maimy.” Her smile is wide, bright, and infectious, as usual.

  “Okay, Pet.”

  Rubbing her hands together, gleeful and full of excitement, she points. “See right there? That’s where they come around. Every full moon, every time. If it’s not raining, there are five of them. Just watch.”

  Looking where she points, I don’t see a thing. Eventually, there’s sea spray. Whales. “Well shit.”

  “Told you.” She shoulder bumps me. “Now listen, you’ll hear them sing.”

  Staying quiet, listening intently, there’s nothing at first. “Petra,” I say, annoyed that we’re waiting to see whales at night, in the ocean, because she thinks they…

  Suddenly, there’s a low howl, moan, and crooning sound. Then another, and another, until there are a dozen whales singing to the moon.

  “Wow.”

  “Told you.”

  “Yeah, you—”

  Without warning, the ground around us gives way. I try to grab Petra any way I can, but I can’t get her. She’s falling too far, too fast. Grabbing purchase on a tree root, I’m able to hold myself up the cliff partway. Looking down, it’s so dark I can’t see her. “Petra!” I scream, but she doesn’t answer me.

  I call her name over and over again until my voice is hoarse. I need to get up the wrecked sea wall to reach the top. Using the root to climb, I start to make my way up. I don’t have on shoes, and my feet cut on the jagged rocks. Slipping every so often, I finally reach the grass at the top and look down, screaming, hoping for an answer. “Petra!”

  Running across the ground as fast as I can, making it to the house, I tear through the house, looking to wake Cicerro, our caregiver. By the time he appears, the tears are streaming down my face. My body is shaking from the fear of what Dad will do to us, and I’m hoping that Petra is okay.

  JAMIESON — THE PAST

  It took hundreds of rescue workers and the Coast Guard to reach Petra. It was hours I didn’t think we had. I was so grateful when I saw them take her away, alive.

  I’d sat on the back steps watching it all unfold, cursing that I didn’t talk her out of seeing the whales. Cicerro had me cleaned up, put on a change of clothes, and made me stay away so they could do their jobs. After seeing the airlift, I knew she was safe.

  They don’t airlift the dead.

  We’ve now been in the hospital waiting on news for close to three hours. Dad flew in from his Texas race, and I have never seen him in such a state. Wyatt stayed at the house with the staff, and Mom has paced incessantly. She yelled a few times at the staff, trying to get news. She yelled at Cicerro, at Dad, and at the other people waiting in the lounge. Never once at me. She won’t even look at me.

  “Mom?” I say, trying to get her attention. I want to say I’m sorry. I want to tell her what happened, but she won’t talk to me at all. “Mom, I’m so sorry. Petra wanted to listen to the whales singing. She said—”

  “Jamieson. I…I can’t talk to you,” she says, without even looking my way. “Cicerro, take him home.”

  “But I want to be here when Pet wakes up.”

  Wiping a lone tear from her face, Mom doesn’t turn my way. “Take my son home, Cicerro. I can’t deal with him as I worry about my baby girl.”

  I’ve always been her little boy. She’s always told me how there’s nothing I could do to make her not love me. How I’m the sweetest thing she’s ever made. But right now, I feel like a stranger. Unwelcome.

  Finally speaking up, Dad says, “Cicerro. Can you...”

  Before he finishes, a doctor walks out, interrupting him. “Mr. and Mrs. Crown?”

  “Yes,” they say in unison.

  “I’m Dr. Meacham. Your daughter’s outlook is grim. She punctured her kidney’s, her spleen, and broke her hip. We were able to slow the bleeds to other areas, but without a donor match, I’m afraid we can’t do much more.”

  Sitting down hard, Mom looks awfully pale. Dad is better, but even he isn’t looking good. “Were there any on the transplant list?”

  “Unfortunately, no. And she won’t live long if we don’t have something soon. She needs a perfect match to be viable.”

  I’ve listened to everything being said. Rising out of my chair, I step in close. “She’s my twin. Can I help?”

  The doctor, Mom, Dad, and Cicerro, all turn my way. It’s like I told them I’m the son of the devil. Or the son of an angel, if I can pull it off. “Son, it’s too risky. I can’t let you.”

  “Dad, if I can help Petra I will. Please.”

  “It’s risky, Mr. Crown.”

  Wrapping me tightly in a hug, one that only Dad can give, I hear Mom as she speaks to the doctor further. She’s upset about Petra, not about the complications with me. It b
others me, but I know it’s because she’s so worried.

  “I love you, Jamieson,” Dad says, still holding me. He never calls me by my name. Nicknames only. It’s his way of showing he loves us. “You’re a great brother, Whiskey. Don’t blame yourself. It wasn’t your fault.”

  “Dad, if I don’t she’ll die. I can’t live without my sister. It’s just as much my fault as hers that we were out there tonight. I should have stopped her.”

  “Whiskey, son. It was just an accident.” He hugs me even tighter. I love the crush on my body as he brings me in super close. Breathing into my hair, I feel his words hitch. “Go have a seat. We need to talk to the doctor for a bit.”

  Taking a seat, I listen as they go over the risks, the complications, and the procedure. Eventually, I’m checked in by a desk nurse, handed a robe, and have a hospital band placed on my wrist.

  Just before I’m wheeled away, the doctor approaches me. “Son, this is going to hurt, and you’ll have a few weeks of recovery. But you’re very special to do this for your sister.”

  I shake my head. “Nah. I’m not special. Petra is. I’m just lucky to be her twin brother.”

  Accepting that, he nods and walks off, leaving me with my family. Saying goodbye to my parents and Cicerro, I’m led off to the inner area of the hospital where I’ll have a kidney removed.

  I’d remove my heart if it would save my sister.

  I’d do anything for Petra.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Waking up in the recovery room, the bright lights are blinding. My head is groggy, my eyes feel scratchy, and my body is numb. Clearing my throat gains the attention of a nurse.